Kerry County Council Comhairle Contae Chiarraí

Mayor congratulates Kenmare on Best Kept Town Award

Released: 02 July 2008

Mayor of Kerry, Cllr Tom Fleming, congratulated the town of Kenmare, on being announced the overall winner of Ireland’s Best Kept Town competition, 2008. The results were announced at an awards ceremony in Belfast Castle in on Tuesday, July 1.

Kenmare also won the Best Kept Large Town Category in the competition, which is organised by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Northern Ireland Amenity Council.

Towns are invited to compete against each other and are marked against strict adjudication criteria which includes cleanliness, the outward appearance of buildings, the presentation of roads and public facilities and the natural environment.

Cllr Fleming, who attended the awards ceremony in Belfast, pointed to the hard work involved in capturing such an award. “Great credit must go to the organising committee, in ensuring that everything was in top shape when the judges arrived,” he said.

“The reality of the situation though is that whenever anybody visits Kenmare, no matter what time of year, the town looks fantastic. This means that everybody, including the local businesses, Council staff, and the people of Kenmare are continually working together to keep Kenmare beautiful.”

County Manager Tom Curran also praised the efforts of the people living in Kenmare. “When you look at Kenmare, you get a real sense of community and a sense of pride in their town, and that has really come to the fore in the Best Kept Town Competition.

“We are delighted to welcome such an award to the county, and are delighted that our staff has been involved in ensuring that Kenmare is Ireland’s Best Kept Town.”